


Concrete Jungle

by midorynoya



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fluff, Love Story, M/M, Magazine Company au, Model, Night in the city, gay relationship, photographer, small town country boy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:48:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27712279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midorynoya/pseuds/midorynoya
Summary: YakuLev: Yaku gets a job a Scarlet Cat magazine, a company run by Kuroo and bumps into the freakishly tall Russian model, Lev. The two have a bumpy start, which Lev makes up for by showing the country boy around the city. Will the two fall under the effects of the city of love? Or will they remain head-butting coworkers?
Relationships: Haiba Lev/Yaku Morisuke, Kuroo Tetsurou/ Kozume Kenma-mentioned, Shimizu Kiyoko/Yachi Hitoka-mentioned
Comments: 1
Kudos: 39
Collections: Haikyuu Ship OneShots, read haikyuu fics





	1. Concrete Jungle

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys! This one is going to have more than one chapter since I wrote a little too much with this part. I don’t know when I’ll post the next chapter but until then, enjoy!

The blasting sound of his alarm caused a jolt in Yaku’s body, alerting his mind that his time in the bed had come to an end. Even so, his body stayed frozen under his sheets, the effects of sleep keeping him chained to his mattress. The sun had barely peaked through the clouds and the sky still held a dark blue tent over the quiet city. 

His digital clock read the numbers 4:30, the time Yaku dreaded waking up to the night before. Although he was simultaneously nervous and eager to start his new job, he just couldn’t bring himself to leave the comfort of his covers. 

“Five more minutes...” he muttered to himself, turning away from the clock so he wouldn’t feel guilty about neglecting it. 

~~~

There were pounds at Yaku’s apartment door, causing another disturbance in his sleep. Yaku wanted so much to ignore them, but he knew that they wouldn’t stop until they were acknowledged. He tugged off his comforter and dragged himself to his door. Once opened, he met the eyes of his next door neighbor smiling brightly. 

“Kai. What the hell do you want?” Yaku cringed at his scratchy voice as he let the other man inside. In his hands, Kai held a brown paper bag and a hot paper cup of coffee. 

“Just fulfilling my new neighborly duties. Your job starts in thirty minutes man,” 

The sleepy effect that was once on Yaku’s eyes disappeared as they widened, quickly scanning the room for a clock. He looked to his microwave for confirmation and the flashing digital numbers were showing 5:30. 

“Why didn’t you wake me earlier?!” The shorter man shouted as he rushed to his bedroom to gather the outfit he prepared the night before. 

“You see, when I was getting your coffee there just so happened to be this really cute barista taking my order and... she was a bit of a talker. I got her number though!” Kai shouted, watching his new friend scramble around his apartment. 

“If you could just bend down a little I’d definitely kick your ass!” Yaku quickly threw on his clothes, glad that he had taken the time to shower the night before. He only used up two seconds to check himself in the mirror before running back to the living room. 

“Straight men.” He muttered as he rolled his eyes at his neighbor. He grabbed his laptop bag, slung it over his shoulder, and zoomed to the door, swiping his breakfast off the counter in the process. 

“Prepare your face for when it meets my fist, you asshole. I’ll see you later,” he shouted as he ran down the hall of his apartment complex. 

“Whatever, short demon!” Kai waved as Yaku neared the end of the hall, which was returned with a middle finger. 

Yaku decided to skip the slow elevator, as it would eat up most of his time and ran down the 10 flights of stairs. Once he got to the street in front of his apartment, he ran into a problem. He had no idea where he was going. He was new to the big city, having lived in the country his whole life, and he felt like it wouldn’t take much to get lost. 

He had no clue where Seth Street was or even how to get there, and by the time he had mustered up the courage to ask strangers he’d be out of a job. His lack of knowledge on how to use a GPS didn’t help either, since he was so used to memorizing long dirt roads in the country. Instantly, he pulled out his phone and dialed the number that was given to him if he had any questions. 

It rang twice before a gentle voice answered on the other side, “You’re calling the helpline of Scarlet Cat Magazine how may I help you?” 

“Uhm, I’m calling because I was just hired here and I’m new to the city so I have no idea how to get there. Curse me for not knowing how to use a GPS right?” 

A soft chuckle replied to Yaku’s confession. “You’re not the first employee who’s had this problem, actually. Navigating through this city is pretty difficult. What street do you live on?” 

“Monthe Avenue, I believe.” 

Faint sounds of keyboard tapping was heard over the phone as the woman searched for directions. “Ah, from what you’re telling me, you shouldn’t be too far from here. You’re about five minutes out,” 

Yaku shouted a small whoop. “Great! Okay, that’s not too bad.” 

“Here, I’ll email you the directions.” He heard more soft keyboard tapping before his phone buzzed with a new email. He briefed through the directions, coming to the conclusion that they looked simple enough. 

“You are a lifesaver. What’s your name so I can come and kiss the ground you walk on?” 

Yaku hears the sweet laugh once again, and it was such an angelic sound. “You seriously don’t have to do that, this is what I’m here for. Now hurry and get here or the boss will have your head. I look forward to working with you!” 

She hung up the phone before Yaku could agree. He didn’t mind though, as he smiled at the blank phone screen. _She seemed like a potential work friend_ , Yaku’s thoughts wandered as he was diligently following the directions that were sent to him. 

He received another notification, which reared his eyes away from the directions for a second. In the process, he caught a glimpse of the current time. His feet came to a halt as he realized that the time he was supposed to set foot in the studio had already passed and he was three minutes late. Had he been walking too slow? 

He increased his walking speed, eventually turning it into a jog as he cut down each block he was supposed to walk through. His heart was clenching with every beat and the hole in his throat was almost unbearable, but he had to sacrifice his ability to breathe if he wanted to keep his new job. 

Big bright red letters that spelled “Scarlet Cat Magazine” stood on a concrete podium in front of a beautiful 15 story building. Yaku only wasted milliseconds to admire the building before he ran inside, going to the nearest staircase and skipping three or four steps. 

Once he was in sight of one the photo shoot locations, he bursted through the glass doors. The photo shoot was flooded with working people, some setting up a wardrobe and others fixing lights equipment. A man with a crazy bed head and a stance that shouted flair stood in the middle of the chaos. Lazy half lidded eyes that hid behind clear glasses fell onto the significantly shorter man. The taller man stood over Yaku, radiating a big personality, although he’d yet to speak. 

“You must be Yaku, my _late_ protégé.” His boss placed a hand on his hip as he stared down at Yaku with a slight scowl. 

Yaku folded over the upper half of his body, his head almost touching the marbled floor. “M-My humblest apologies, sir!” 

Immediately he heard a laugh in response to his apology, and he slowly raised back to his regular height. “That’s really not necessary. So what, were you a few minutes late? I’m not known to have a stick up my ass,” 

_But the lady just said_ \- 

“Okay, I lied. I was ready to fire you. Lucky for you though, I remembered how valuable you are. You have quite the portfolio,” His boss nodded, giving credit. 

“Thank you, Kuroo-sama!” 

Kuroo winced at the proper name, shaking his head in disgust. “Just Kuroo, please. I am not my stick in the mud father.” 

“Right.” Yaku nodded. 

“My coffee,” he nodded towards the paper cup on the buffet table in the middle of the room, filled with millions of delicious breakfast choices to choose from. “Was done wrong by my assistant. Your first task, since you were late, is to get me a new one. I like a dark roast, two packs of sugar, one, and I mean _one,_ pump of creamer, and a hint of vanilla. There’s a coffee cart downstairs, and you have your orders. Go!” 

Yaku panicked, quickly swiping the old cup from the table and rushing through the large glass doors again. He walked, which progressed to a jog, which sped up into a run. He managed to dodge and weave through the people going the opposite direction while trying to pinpoint where the stairs were. 

He saw the dip of the floor and the lack of a balcony at the end of the now clear hall and picked up his speed. Just as he was about to turn down the stairs, he crashed into a hard surface, the paper cup in his hands now crushed between the two. 

Yaku peered up at the supposed wall he hit but when he saw glimmering green eyes and free silver locs, his eyes widened. Yaku stepped back, staring in horror as he saw the wet brown stain covering the taller man’s white dress shirt. He couldn’t deny his immediate conclusion that the guy was attractive, having a rather sharp jawline and beautiful eyes that almost looked like the eyes of a snake. It suited him though. Not to mention his longer slender neck that complimented his broad shoulders and defined chest. “I-I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you coming and I-“ 

“Wow, you’re really short.” 

Yaku dropped his nice demeanor instantly, his once worried look dropping to a scowl. “Mhm, what about it?” He forced through his tightly sealed lips. 

The taller man stayed silent, his eyes bouncing to the matching coffee stain on Yaku’s shirt. He opened his mouth and closed it quickly, chuckling at his own thoughts. “I’m sorry, I just have to ask. Do you, like, carry a stool around with wherever you go? You know, for the hard to reach places?” 

Yaku’s skin blazed in anger and he took it out on the now empty cup, crushing further in his hand. “If you’re done wasting my precious time with your sorry attempt at a joke, I’d like to move on.” 

The taller man winced, keeping a taunting smile on his face. “Whoops, looks like I struck a nerve. I’m Lev Haiba and I’m a model, by the way. What’s your name? You must one of my coworker’s kids,” 

Yaku gritted his teeth, making a fist with his free hand and digging his nails into the palm of his hand. Yaku wanted to pounce and punch the living daylights out of this guy, but doing that would cost him his job in seconds. Instead, he used his sharp tongue to try and release some of his anger. 

“None of your tall, snaky ass business,” 

The model seemed unphased by the insult as he let out another bit of belting laughter. Before he could retort back with another short joke, a high pitched shout, almost sounding like a whine, sounded at the end of the hall. 

“Levochka! They want to make changes to our outfits!” The women that appeared down the hall was a splitting image of lev, only her feminine features made her breathtakingly beautiful. Yaku couldn’t help but blush in the presence of such attractiveness radiating off two people. 

He was snapped back to his regular scowl though when the model spoke again. “Well, ‘none of your tall snaky ass business’ I’ll see you around. Maybe next time I see you, you won’t have such a _short_ attitude!” 

Before he could say anything else, the model turned his back to him and walked down the long hall to join his sister. Once out of earshot, Yaku let out a growl, stomping loudly down the glass stairs. He had always been teased about his height by people with an average height. It didn’t really matter to him that much. But when the model with an estimated 6’4 build cracked a few jokes, it got Yaku’s blood boiling. 

Tall people, especially freakishly tall people had no right to make fun of those who were vertically challenged. They were born with amazing genes, genes that were often praised. Genes that could offer scholarships. It was unfair to those who were lacking in that department. 

“Tch. Short attitude. I’ll show you a short attitude, you slender giraffe looking motherfu-“ 

“You must be Yaku-san!” The woman that suddenly appeared in front of Yaku held out a hand for him to shake. 

Her sleek black hair stopped at her shoulders and small fragile glasses were perched on her nose, a beauty Mark residing on the left side of her chin. “I am.” 

Yaku didn’t hide his confusion well as he made a crease in the space between his eyebrows. “You must be...” 

The woman looked up at the ceiling, briefly smacking her forehead for forgetting to mention her name. “Oh right! I’m Kiyoko, we spoke over the phone and I remember not too long ago that you were frantically asking for directions here.” 

The angry weight on Yaku’s shoulders suddenly lifted when he realized who he was talking to. Immediately, he engulfed the slightly taller woman into a hug. He kept a little space between them though, making sure he didn’t get any coffee on her. “Thank you so much for your help!” 

He heard the angelic chuckle singing against his ear as he pulled away. “It’s not a problem honestly. Did you make it on time?” 

“Unfortunately, no.” Yaku sighed, “I got stuck with coffee duty.” 

Kiyoko shot Yaku an apologetic smile, sympathizing for her boss’s actions. “You must’ve been more than three minutes late. I’m surprised he didn’t fire you on the spot.” 

Yaku shrugged, shoving a hand into his pocket. “Yeah, well apparently my skills have saved my ass once again. This day did not start off right. it didn’t help that I spilled coffee on myself and some arrogant, lanky, tall ass, silver haired giraffe looking model who-“ 

Kiyoko snickered at the long list of insults, bringing her fist to her mouth to try and her amusement less obvious. “You mean Lev? He’s so sweet, usually.” 

Yaku squinted, appalled by the unbelievable claim. “Snakes aren’t sweet. They’re slimy bastards,” 

Kiyoko fixed the position on her glasses as her small lips stretched into a smile. “Oh gosh, what did he say to you?” 

“He made a short joke. I _hate_ short jokes.” 

“Oh, I should’ve known. Lev liked to point out the obvious and tries to use it as his attempt of humor, but he always ends up failing. He’s joked about my beauty mark more times than I can count.” 

Yaku rolled his eyes at the actions of the model, disappointed that he was no different from other hot guys. “Why do guys, especially the hot ones, have to be so corny and inconsiderate all the time? I'm not saying that Lev is hot or anything, but he fits that persona. I've dated too many stupid guys not to recognize it,” 

Kiyoko never voiced a clear response, instead celebrating something with herself. “Did something happen?” 

Her bright eyes met with the honey brown haired photographer, sporting more of a grin now. “I’m sorry, I’m just glad that my gaydar is still on point. I could kind of tell by the way you were speaking over the phone but I just needed a way to confirm it.” 

“Oh,” Yaku lightly chuckled, a blush pinking up his cheeks. “You’re the first person who’s assumed correctly about me. Apparently, I give off a straight vibe.” 

Kiyoko nodded her head, feeling a sense of relation. “Same here. People are always surprised when I mention that I have a girlfriend,” 

Yaku let his eyes widen a little, making it known that he had made no such assumption about the woman’s preference. “Ah, and here I thought _my_ gaydar was spot on.” 

A booming voice echoed throughout the halls, the deep resonance matching that of Yaku’s boss. “People, We are starting this photo shoot in 30 minutes! I need lights set up, backdrops approved and my damn coffee! Where’s that damned protégé?!” 

Yaku tensed at the mention of his new position, cautiously looking back at Kiyoko. “I really should get back up there.” 

Kiyoko took in the appearance of Yaku, finally acknowledging the coffee stain on the front of his shirt. “Before you do that, my office is behind me on the left. There are racks of clothes from old photo shoots and you can find a nice shirt in there. I’ll take care of the coffee, I know his order by heart.” 

A smile crept onto Yaku’s face as he engulfed Kiyoko into another hug, amazed at how resourceful she was. “Thank you, Kiyoko-san! May I ask what your role is here?” 

She adjusted her glasses once more, “I’m the head of HR around here but I dabble in a little bit of everything. I’m basically the wind beneath Kuroo’s wings. You can always come to me if you need any kind of help. Now, go!” 

Yaku nodded before taking off in the direction he was instructed to go in. Kiyoko’s office wasn’t hard to spot, a silver plate with bolder black letters that read “Kiyoko Shimizu” gave it away. Yaku quickly slipped inside, eager to discard the wet shirt. 

His shirt was quickly folded and placed into the seat in the corner while dove into the multiple racks of stylish clothes. The variety was endless, making it hard for Yaku to narrow his choices down to one. After a long game of eenie meenie minie mo, Yaku finally settled on a simple black graphic tee and a black and red oversized flannel shirt going over it. He figured that it would go great with the black jeans and brown suede boots he was already wearing. 

Yaku stole a look at himself in the full length mirror Kiyoko left in her mirror before going back to his state of rushing to a new destination. This time, instead of bursting through the large glass doors, Yaku slipped through them, subtly blending in with the swarming crowd of workers. 

His attempt at going unnoticed failed when his boss pinpointed him automatically. Kuroo made a swift gesture for Yaku to join him in the middle of all the chaos. “You wasted my time for an outfit change?” 

Kiyoko appeared from behind the man with sass, mouthing the word ‘sorry’. It wasn’t Kiyoko’s fault, she was merely trying to carry out her duties and help her new coworker. If anything, Yaku should be treating the women to lunch, since she took the time out her day to help the pitiful man. 

Still, Yaku faced the challenge of his sassy boss in front of him, in which he had to explain his case. “N-No! I spilled-“ 

“I don’t care about that, you’ve wasted enough time. Before we start, I’d like you to meet the people responsible for making this company as successful as it is today.” Kuroo skimmed over the room of sworming people, taking mental notes for himself. 

He raised his hand in the air, holding out the shaka sign and twisting his wrist twice. “Main Stream Team! I need a lineup!” 

A select few from the crowd gravitated their way towards the man holding up a signal. They all formed a line next to Kiyoko, each holding a serious look. “State your names and occupation, please.” 

A man with grey hair, blacks streaks for contrast, stepped out of the line, pointing to himself and gleaming with pride. “Bokuto Kōtarō, head of the journalist department and bro-friend to this ridiculous rooster here.” 

A shorter man, around Yaku’s height, with a bleached bob rolled his eyes. “For the last time Bokuto-san, ‘bro-friend’ is not a word.” 

Bokuto frowned, shutting his golden eyes. “Well you took the title of best friend and husband already so I had to make something up!” 

_Husband_? Yaku was confused as to why his gaydar had been so off this morning. Usually he was spot on about the people he was grouped with, and maybe it’s because he’s having an off day or maybe he’s just not as intuitive as he thought. 

“Kozume Kenma,” the quieter man spoke again, his voice coming out in a mutter. “You can call me by my first name, I don’t care. I’m the head of the finance department.” 

Yaku nodded, secreting the thoughts that were spinning around in his head. He never pegged Kuroo to have such a quiet partner. I guess it made sense that their personalities were opposite, with kuroo having a huge sassy personality with a crazy sex appeal, and with Kenma having a quiet, anti-social personality. Now that Yaku thought about it, the pair complimented each other. 

A rather enthusiastic male with spiky brown hair stepped forward, instantly taking one of Yaku’s hands and shaking it vigorously. “I’m Sō Inuoka, head of the fashion department. I’d also love for you to call me by my first name. It makes me feel closer to my coworkers.” 

Yaku smiled at the man’s nice enthusiasm, although his head still ached from the way it was shaken before. Next who stepped forward was male with a bleached mohawk and quite sharp eyebrows. “The name’s Taketora Yamamoto, head of the makeup department. Call me tora for short.” 

Yaku quirked up an eyebrow. _Makeup department_? The confusion was evident on the photographer's face, and Tora scoffed at the common confusion of the mention of his job. “What’s wrong makeup, country boy? It’s a manly thing! It takes guts to run a makeup department!” 

Yaku tore his gaze away from Tora, pressing his lips into a thin line. Clearly he struck a nerve. Lastly, Kiyoko was the last person to step out of the line, sporting a small smile and holding some vanilla folders to her chest. “You already know me, Yaku-san, and to basically sum up my job again is that I’m the support system of this whole shindig.” 

Yaku nodded after she stepped back into the line again. He grinned at the characters in front of him, each sporting their own unique personality. “I’m Yaku Morisuke, and I’m pleased to be working with all of you.” 

His new coworkers hummed in agreement before they all collectively turned their attention to Kuroo for further instructions. The magazine executive hummed, excited to get this show on the road. “Great! Now that that’s out the way, let’s get started. Inuoka, are the beautiful Russians ready?” 

Inuoka gave a nod to his boss. “Yes sir! Although I am ready to punch Lev square in his stupid jaw. If he makes another comment about my hair, I swear I’ll-“ 

A call was heard from the other side of the room as the two Russian models approached the group with a great presence. “Yo, spiky! Love the outfits you picked out today,” 

Lev gave a thumbs up, which was returned with a growl. Instead, Inuoka turned to the Russian women smiling mindlessly. “Alisa! Are you okay with the selections I’ve made this morning?” 

Inuoka buzzed quietly, waiting for a response. He peered up at the obviously taller woman, taking in every inch of her beautiful face. “Yes, Inuoka-san! I love the black dress that you picked out!” 

The spiky haired man not so subtly celebrated with himself before showing a toothy smile. “As soon as I saw that dress come in the shipment, I thought I’d be perfect for you and immediately set off to the side. Would you like to see some of the selections we have for next week? There are a few pieces that I just know you’ll take a liking to,” 

The model quickly agreed, taking one of Inuoka’s hands. “Lead the way, Inuoka-san!” 

The two happily skipped off to the rows of racks that sat in the corner of the busy room. Yaku shook off the weird altercation that he just witnessed when he saw and turned his attention to the giraffe-like man currently gagging. 

“Inuoka sucks at flirting. He’d have better luck with a trash can,” Lev grimaced at the sight of his sister and Inuoka happily swiping through the multiple hangers of clothes. 

Although Yaku wanted to walk away right then and there, uninterested to carry a conversation with the man who insulted his height before, but he was curious of the behavior in front of him. “Why do you insist on insulting others?” 

Lev was surprised as he looked down at the shorter man, since Yaku’s tone was different from when they first met. He shrugged, jamming his hands into the perfectly tailored suit he wore. “I guess I don’t have a filter.” 

“It’s more than that. People without a filter don’t go around constantly cracking jokes about someone’s flaws. That’s just rude and mean.” Yaku took note of the sudden shift in the model’s posture, making it clear that this topic was a sensitive one. 

As he assumed before, Lev seemed like the type of person to dodge a more serious conversation and instead try to change the subject with an insult or a joke. And his theory was proved when Lev stared down at the photographer with snaky eyes. “How old are you dude? You look nothing older than 12, but you have the personality of a grandpa.” 

Yaku squinted at the giant, gritting his teeth. “I’m 25, you giant asshole.” 

“Wait, really?” Lev guffawed loudly, alarming the people around him. “I’m 23, which is two years younger than you, and yet you don’t even come close to my height!” 

Yaku blew steam out his nostrils as he huffed out in anger, a switch on the inside of his brain. Yaku turned swiftly, extending out his left leg as he went to kick Lev in his lower back. 

“Ack!” Lev shouted as he was propelled forward. Lev rubbed his lower back, staring at the shorter man in horror. “Ow, man! What type of demon kick was that?!” 

Yaku was about to bark out another insult when his boss whistled, stopping the commotion of the entire room. “Alright, everyone! I see a lot of faces eager for awesome results, so let’s get started. Bruce Lee, Goliath, I need you over here.” 

Yaku rolled his eyes at the nickname and slipped through the crowd of working people over to his boss. Everyone was in place for the photoshoot and the only missing puzzle piece was the Russian that Yaku just so mercilessly kicked. 

“Yaku,” Kuroo handed the photographer the most expensive camera he’d seen, one that had been on his wishlist for years. “You’re going to be in charge of the midnight collection, and since you clearly can stand Lev, I’ll be pairing you with Alisa.” 

Yaku bit his bottom lip to hide the smile that was threatening to appear. “Y-You’re putting me in charge of a collection?” 

Kuroo placed a hand on Yaku’s shoulder, laughing at the sudden dip in his protégé’s confidence. “Of course! I have no doubt in your abilities. Prove to me that I chose you for a reason,” 

Kuroo nodded before being called away to a problem that’s been brought to attention. Yaku quietly examined the expensive camera, which he later identified as the Canon EOS R5, checking out the lenses and running his thumb over the smooth silver button. He felt special, holding such a beautiful camera in little hands. 

He carefully set the camera up on the tripod, removing the lens cap and peering through the HD filter. After going through a mini checklist in his head, he walked over to meet the less obnoxious Haiba sibling. She had the same features as Lev, having a more feminine touch to them, but there were some differences that made her breathtakingly beautiful. Yaku could snap pics of her for hours. 

“You’re Yaku-san, right? You’re a cute little one!” Alisa smiled, showing her pearly white money makers. Yaku couldn’t help but blush at the comment, even though she still highlighted his shortness. She made it seem like it was more of a factor for the plus side, and less of a flaw. Alisa was the complete opposite of her brother, rather making light of someone’s insecurities rather than joking about them. She carried herself like she was a ray of sunshine, and you couldn’t really compare her to anything else. 

Anyone, even the very gay Yaku saw just how beautiful she was. From her silver hair, to her green eyes, she was sight for sore eyes. “I am, although I wouldn’t really call myself cute. People often refer to me as a demon.” 

Her melodic giggle rang in Yaku’s ears, making chills run up his spine. He could listen to such a sweet sound for hours. “You’re hilarious! Can I hug you? I always like to get to know someone through physical interaction.” 

Pushing the dirty thoughts that popped into his head, Yaku awkwardly nodded and held his arms out as an invitation. She giddily stepped forward and pulled the shorter man into a tight hug. Due to Yaku’s height, he was mushed into the model’s chest, every straight man’s dream. He sucked in air through his nose, ignoring the sudden lack of air. He caught a whiff of a sweet smelling perfume that on a bad day, could make his head hurt. 

There was a groan that was voiced from a distance, and Yaku didn’t have to guess to know who made that sound. “Alisa, are you trying to suffocate him with your boobs?” 

A growl sounded from the model’s mouth as she broke away from their hug. “Shut the hell up, Lev! When you can learn how to model better than me, then you can attempt to insult me.” 

Lev scoffed at the statement and stuck his tongue out. “I too can model better than you. I can model circles around you Alisa, just wait!” 

The sudden acts of the toddler-like model made the photographer cringe, turning his attention from him. Instead, he focused on the Haiba sibling in front of him, who was wearing the sleek black dress that Inuoka picked out for her. It was snug around her curves, fitting her in all the right places and the length was made specifically for her height. Yaku thought the sight was too perfect to capture on camera. 

“How do you want to do this?” Alisa stood with her hands on each hip, awaiting Yaku’s instructions. 

“Honestly, I just want you to be yourself. You can never really catch the essence of one’s true beauty unless they’re in their natural element.” Yaku adjusted the zoom in feature on the camera and did a few tests before looking back up at the model. Her brows made a crease in her forehead as she was unsure of how to go about the instructions. Being a model meant you were constantly told which way to pose or how to tilt your head in the correct angle or even how your foot be slightly elevated. Alisa’s mind had been trained to capture someone else’s vision, so when she was asked to pose for herself, she was unprepared. 

Snapping out of her confused state, Alisa made the smile return on her lips. “Yaku-san, I need a little more than that. I’m sure you wouldn’t want me to just stiffly stand here,” 

Yaku rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes darting to the ceiling as if it could give him guidance. He’s only really ever instructed a model twice, under his college professor’s wing. Even then, he didn’t actually have a say in what image she would be sporting. 

“Okay, uhm. Alisa do you like to go out with friends and take pictures with them?” 

The model’s eyes brighten and she claps her hands together in excitement. “Ah, yes! Tora-san’s sister and I are the best of friends, Aka-chan and I take many pictures of ourselves when we travel.” 

There was a light in Alisa’s eyes when she talked about her best friend that Yaku wanted to capture right then and there. It was so unfamiliar to him since he’d been a social outcast most of his life because of his anger issues. That was, until Kai came into his life, although he could call them best friends. Just really good neighbors. 

“Great! Okay, can you give me a few examples of how you pose for those pictures?” 

Alisa’s lips pouted as she held a face of concentration, running through the many times she stood in front of a statue or a museum to capture a memory. “Ah, I got it!” 

She moved off to the side and held out her arms like she was presenting something while lifting one of her legs and smiling with both rows of pearly whites. Yaku figured that with this pose, it could present the brand of the clothes she was currently wearing, so he made a mental note to talk to Bokuto about it later. 

“Perfect! That’s great, Alisa!” 

Alisa moved into a more serious pose, flipping her hair into a messy side part and left her hand in her hair while placing the other one on her hip. She tilted her head back and parted her lips, popping out one of her knees. 

It was a more sexy look, and it complimented the colors of the dress she was wearing. “Alisa, this is perfect! I’m going to take a few more shots of you in this dress and then I want you to change into the jumpsuit so I can get some low shots.” 

Alisa took the instructions diligently and let her creative side run wild before Inuoka called her to the side for an outfit change. Setting the camera down on the tripod, Yaku looked around to observe the team working around them. They worked so well together that it seemed like a family, and all Yaku could feel was that he was out of place. 

“You’re doing great so far.” 

“Gah!” Yaku tripped over his suede boots, startled by the sudden voice that tickled his ear. The precious laugh that automatically sounded let him know that it was Kiyoko who was giving him encouraging words. 

“Kiyoko-san, that’s just cruel.” He shook his head at the laughing woman, all the while trying to steady his heartbeat. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think it was going to affect you, but it’s so quiet in here. Part of the reason is because Lev is in the zone.” Kiyoko nodded towards the other photoshoot that was still going on. 

Lev was wearing the all black suit. The sleeves were rolled up, the two top buttons were undone, and he held the blazer over his shoulder. Through the exposed chest, you could see his muscle toned chest and due to the slimness of the shirt, defined abs peaked through as well. Whenever Lev didn’t open his mouth, he was a ‘hot ass Russian’, as the thoughts in Yaku’s brain put it. 

Seeing this caused his breath to catch in his throat and the progress that was once made on steadying his heart was regressed. Yaku felt the hotness in his cheeks as he tried to tear away his gaze, ultimately failing. The level of attractiveness of this man was unmatched, compared to any guy he's ever laid eyes on. The mix of japanese and russian collided perfectly, giving Lev godlike features. A jawline that could cut through steel, greem almond shaped eyes that complimented the pretty silver hair, it was all just too much for the simple naked eye. 

“Do I sense a hint of gay panic?” Kiyoko’s comment made the photographer blush madly, even though he proudly protested. 

“N-No, you do not! He’s just a tall, dumb, sexy, stupid model!” 

A smirk crept onto the raven haired woman’s lips, her eyes brightening in surprise. “Did you just call Lev sexy?!” 

Yaku scoffed, trying his best to hide the pink tint on his cheeks. “That’s not what I meant.” 

A snicker was heard from Kiyoko as she egged Yaku on further. “I mean I get it, anyone could see how hot he is. If I weren’t gay I’d totally-“ 

Yaku shut his eyes tightly, embarrassed to even face his coworker. “You know, this is a great time for the floor to open up and just swallow me whole.” 

More sweets laughs echoed in Yaku’s ears as he went back to setting up. 

~~~ 

“Kiyoko-san, if I were to ever get laid, I would not let that stupid giant near me. No matter how deprived I am,” 

Kiyoko logged off her computer and joined Yaku at the door. “Did you miss the part where I told you he's bisexual? And he's a stupid, sexy, dumb, model, as you put it. What more do you need?” 

Yaku rolled his eyes, trying to hide his interest in the recent revelation. “A muzzle, for one. He seems like the type to talk during sex, which is a major turn off.” 

Yaku’s wish of hearing the melodic laughter the whole day was granted when Kiyoko giggled once again. “The image is in my head now! This is too much, I’ll see you tomorrow Yaku!” 

They parted ways, Yaku going towards the front door and Kiyoko meeting a blond woman with a little side ponytail at the end of the hall, whom she embraced. Must be the girlfriend she mentioned. 

Yaku couldn’t look at the sight for long, since it called him single in six different ways. It’s not like he hasn’t had the time to find someone, it’s just where he came from his ‘kind’ wasn’t appreciated, as his parents put it. They weren’t necessarily homophobic, they just weren’t really comfortable of the fact that their son liked to kiss up on boys instead girls. 

Once he got the notification about this job, he immediately thought of the variety of his community being here and how he had more of a shot than anywhere else. It was the city, for crying out loud. The only gay or half gay person he’s met so far though, was the Russian beanstalk, which was an automatic no-no. There’s no way he could- 

“Hey, short demon!” The voice that carried throughout the mostly empty hall made Yaku stop in his footsteps, not even bothering to turn around since he knew who it was. 

He brought his fingers into a fist, turning around swiftly and punched the arm of the model behind him. The movement was followed by a yelp, which eased him into satisfaction. “What the hell do you want?” 

Lev pouted, rubbing the hurt area of his ridiculously long arm. “I was just coming to apologize- jeez!” 

“How about not starting with an insult!” 

Grumpily, Yaku turned his back to Lev and tried to continue his walk to the door. His pace was stopped by a hand that grasped his arm. He shivered under the long deprived touch, and turned back to his original stance. “What?” 

A smile was returned, which caused a little jump in Yaku’s heartbeat. “I wasn’t done with my apology, duh. I’m sorry for like calling you short or whatever, blah blah blah-“ 

Yaku tore his arm away from the model, even though the touch had his heart working overtime, and was ready to walk off again. “Is that your sorry ass excuse for an apology, you dumbass?” 

“N-No!” Lev placed hands on Yaku’s shoulders, which limited his ability to escape from him. “If you just let me finish, I was going to apologize by taking you out on a night in the city, since you’re new here and all.” 

Yaku quirked up an eyebrow. “And where did you hear that?” 

“Oh! Kiyoko-San told me!” 

“I am going to kill her later,” he muttered. He wanted so deeply to shut the offer down, since it was Lev who was offering. Due to the fact that he would’ve just gone home and snacked on leftover ramen and cried in singleness like he did every night, he slowly nodded. “Fine. Whatever.” 

His compliance had the giant model smiling widely, a rare sight that would have anyone weak in the knees. Although Yaku refused to believe he was ‘anyone’, he could still feel a sudden lack of strength in his legs. 

This feeling, like all the other ones, he ignored as he peered up at the model. “You, my dear friend Yaku, are going to have a night to remember.” 

“We’re not friends,” He grumbled. 

_What did I get myself into?_


	2. Concrete Jungle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The giant and the shortie go on their trip in the city. Along the way, Yaku's meets some of the friends that Lev's made, two of them leaving Yaku question what his feelings are, despite not knowing anything about Lev. True intentions are uncovered when they go back to Lev's place, and Yaku's learns that he wasn't alone. Will Yaku give in to Lev's charms, or will he ignore his feelings and stop things from going anywhere?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone. This took forever to write, mainly because I kept getting hit with writer's block. I hope you like it and I apologize for making this an extra long chapter. Anways, enjoy!

“Where are you taking me?” The two had been walking for about thirty minutes, turning down many streets and blocks that Yaku was unfamiliar with. His attempts to admire the skyscrapers and small cafés were ruined by the stabbing pain in his feet that his boots created. Still, he marched on to keep up with the long strides of the model. 

Small winces were heard from Yaku, which brought his discomfort to Lev’s attention. “Dude, no one told you to wear those ugly boots to work.” 

Yaku’s head snapped towards the direction of the insult, in which he gritted his teeth in response. “You know what, shut the fuck up. I bet you couldn’t even dress yourself without your occupation. Leave my fashion sense alone,” 

Lev smirked at the obvious offense the photographer took to his jokes, he found odd pleasure in insulting the man and seeing the reaction it got out of him. Whenever Yaku took offense to Lev’s words, his lips formed into an upturned pout and his cheeks gave off a rosy tent, a twinkle in his hazel eyes completing the adorable look. Whenever he caught a glimpse of the precious signature look, it caused a ping in his heart. 

“We’re going to make a quick detour.” Lev made a change in his course of walking, turning around swiftly so he could go back to the crosswalk they just passed. In a purely motherly sense, Lev grabbed the shorter man’s hand and crossed the street once the coast was clear. 

This movement made chills shoot up Yaku’s arm, leaving a tingling feeling in his palm. Yaku was sure that once they were safely on the other sidewalk, that Lev’s hand would disappear from his, but the moment never came. 

This caused the same effect that happens when Yaku engages in any physical activity, the fast pace of his heart, the lack of air in his lungs. He couldn’t seem to catch a break. And while these sensations weren’t new to him, he was left confused as to why they were caused by someone he supposedly couldn’t stand. 

He spent their short walk staring at the much larger hand in his, constant rushes of blood appearing under the tan color of his skin. Once he had finally looked up, they stopped in front of a Nike store and Yaku was this close to running into Lev’s back. “Why’d we stop?” 

“These guys,” he gestured towards the large orange check, “ owe me free shoes from a modeling job I did some time ago. Clearly you need them more than me so,” 

Yaku could feel his insides warming at the nice gesture, this instead of praise, fueled anger. “W-Why are you wasting free shoes on me?! You barely know me!” 

Lev could only smile at the smaller man’s anger, since the rosy tint in his cheeks were quite obvious. “This is just one of the many ways I’ll be repaying you for the short jokes. Come on,” 

He grabbed Yaku’s hand again, the same feeling from before reoccurring. Maybe this is what Kiyoko meant by Lev being sweet. From what he got from his new coworkers, Lev never really apologized for his inconsiderate jokes, so why was it a special case for Yaku? Had he taken more of a pity on Yaku, or more of a liking? Lev’s actions didn’t seem to help differentiate the two. 

Yaku was pulled into the almost empty store, vacant because it was close to closing time. Lev went straight to the register, in which he greeted the cashier accordingly. “Yo, Arisu-san, how about those shoes you and the boss man promised me?” 

The woman glared at Lev, which she couldn’t hold for long when she cracked a smile. “A more formal greeting would’ve been nice, you stupid model.” 

Lev perched himself up on the counter, smiling up at the woman with more of a height advantage now. “Oh come on, you know me. When have I ever been formal?” 

The woman copied Lev’s position, leaning in so their faces were a few inches apart. These movements activated a ping of jealousy to spike in Yaku’s mind, although he had no clue why. It was clear that the two had been friends for a while, and he was the newcomer, but he just couldn’t get the territorial mindset out of his mind. “Never, actually.” 

The model’s finger was placed under the woman’s chin, swiping under it as her chin lifted. “Exactly. So how ‘bout those shoes?” 

The woman faked a pout as she returned to her original height, watching Lev do the same. “What size?”

Lev peered back at the quiet Yaku, who was currently watching the subtle exchanges between the two. Once snapped back to reality, he rushed his response. “Uh-Uhm, seven.” 

The woman nodded as she walked to disappear behind the door that held multiple rows of shoes. There was silence in the seconds she was gone, Yaku keeping his mouth shut in order to stop the questions of curiosity he wanted to ask about their situation. She came back, setting the gray box that was once in her hands on the counter. “You free tonight? There’s this new Korean barbecue place that opened up down the street.”

“No, actually. Me and my date here have an awesome night in the city planned.” Yaku wanted to protest immediately at the word ‘date’, but kept his mouth shut once the cashier’s eyes fell on him.

“Date, huh?” She wiggled her eyebrows, “I can think of a few things that you two’ll be doing. Try not to break him, Lev-san.” 

Breaking? What breaking? There will be no breaking! Yaku’s mind ran wild at the hands of the woman’s words, panicking if that’s what Lev had in mind. The photographer seemed unbothered by the insinuation and instead laughed it off. “You play way too much, Arisu-san. But that barbecue place sounds cool, so we’ll have to check it out another time, okay?”

Lev swiped the box off the counter and handed it to Yaku so he could switch out his shoes. He did so swiftly, so he could quickly escape the embarrassment that was brought onto him. The box was handed to him, in which he sat on one of the benches to exchange the shoes. He did this in a record time, and hopped up with urgency. 

The warmth of Lev’s hand tickled the smaller palm as they joined again, a feeling that Yaku didn’t think he was ever going to get used to. Lev led the photographer to the door, stopping so he could wave to his friend. “We’ll definitely have to check out that restaurant next time though. See you later, Arisu-san!” 

They were back on their original path in a few minutes, with Yaku gripping tightly on the shoe box to keep from voicing his thoughts. These actions were quick to be caught by the model, who had noticed the same edginess in the store. “Sorry about her, she’s-“ 

“How do you know her?” The question practically slipped out Yaku’s mouth, which is why he had been trying to keep quiet. His bluntness was often an enemy of his, especially in situations in which he had no control over his mind. 

“When I first moved to this city, other than my sister she was the first person I talked to. She helped through a lot, especially with navigating through this city. I wouldn’t have survived without her,” 

A wave of relief fell over Yaku’s tenses shoulders, sighing as he loosened the grip on the shoe box. “Oh, okay. I thought you guys had... nevermind.” 

Lev’s walk came to a halt stared at the shorter man, a smirk playing on his lips. “Yaku-san, are you jealous?” 

His protest came immediately. “N-No! Not at all! Why would I be jealous for some stupid giraffe?”

“Oh my,” the model laughed, “you are such a tsundere!” Another insult was ready to spew out the mouth of the photographer, which would evidently prove what Lev just claimed. Instead he made an audible huff, which was followed by a shove of the Russian beside him. 

Their walking only lasted a few more blocks as they stopped in front of this restaurant called the “Levitable”. The conjunction was confusing, and it didn’t make a clear statement of what was so special about the restaurant. At least, that’s what Yaku thought before he had the title explained to him. 

“This restaurant here is my favorite! They have really cool levitating tables, hence the name, and they have like the best burgers in town. I figured it’d be a good way to feed you before we head off to the carnival.” 

The monologue of the model left an uneasy feeling in the pit of Yaku’s stomach, since it sort of sounded like he was being talked to as a toddler by his kohai. Any outsider would accept this as it clearly applied to the image of the pair, but it would absolutely upset Yaku. Of course, none of these thoughts were voiced as he simply complied with a grunt. 

Eager to step inside, the Lev yanked Yaku through the door, the aroma of fries instantly flooding the photographer’s nose. The smell felt so warm and welcoming, which gave Yaku an idea as to why Lev loved this place. “Lev!” 

The shout came from what looked like a waiter close to Yaku’s height on the other side of the noisy restaurant. The man seemed to recognize Lev as much as the woman from the shoe store. “Hey, Shibayama! I didn’t know you’d be working today,”

The man weaved through the busy tables and stopped in front of Lev, confirming Yaku’s suspicions of their height difference. They were the exact same height. He could only imagine how many short jokes he tormented the man with. 

The two did a mini handshake. “I got called in at the last minute. How have you been? You haven’t been here in a while.” 

“Great, honestly. But I haven’t been too great since I’ve been deprived of these amazing burgers,” the two shared a laugh, which led Yaku to feel like he was out of place. 

“Awe, stop it,” dark eyes fall on the quiet photographer next to him. “I see you found another short guy to mack on. Glad all those lame jokes are passed onto someone else,”

Shibayama’s tone was in a joke sense, but the way he held a cold stare on Yaku made it seem like his presence wasn’t welcomed as he thought it’d be. Of course, Lev didn’t seem to notice. “Yeah, well there’s still some leftover for you.” 

Shibayama didn’t take too much time laughing before he questioned the pair’s relationship. “So, how do you guys know each other?” 

The question was quick and there was no effort to put any lightheartedness behind it. This time, the usual clueless model took notice of it, a shift in his posture was obvious. “We’re coworkers. This is kind of like a sorry for getting on his nerves today. You know, the usual,” 

The smile that flashed on Shibayama’s face was clearly forced as he nodded. “Classic Lev! There should be an open table if you guys are ready to be seated?” 

The manager made less of an effort before to hide the direction of the question, which really made Yaku want to tuck away his nice demeanor. Something must’ve happened between the two or there’s unspoken feelings that must’ve been oblivious to the model for his friend to act this way. 

Once the pair was seated, thankfully, another waitress came to serve the two. Lev ordered their signature burger and Yaku just ordered a chicken tender basket. “Are you sure you don't want anything more grown up, Yaku-san? I know you wanted to be treated as your age but like you’re making it really hard for me to-“

A kick was sent to Russian in a flash, making him yelp and rub his leg from under the table. “Ow! You and that stupid demon foot!” 

Yaku shrugged, pressed with reaction out of the other man and started playing with the glass of water in his hands. A few minutes of quiet passed, the chatter of people around them filling the void. Yaku’s eyes were kept unfocused, a tactic he used to keep from blushing once he felt the eyes of the pretty Russian in front of him. “You’re staring. Why?” 

Lev blinked, realizing that his actions were obvious and started to fiddle with his fingers. “Your eyes are always squinted at me, so when I saw them relaxed, I realized how pretty they actually were.” 

Yaku’s head snapped up, his heart skipping at least three beats at those words. A deeper hue of pink crept onto his now hot skin, and he was frantically looking for places to look away to. “Y-You don’t mean that.” 

“But I do! They’re big and brown, and they have this little sparkle to them that makes you look so adorable! Really, it’s-“ 

Lev’s sentence was stopped midway when he saw how embarrassed the man sitting in front of him was. “I’ve said too much, haven’t I?” 

Before he could bark out an insult, the sight of their waitress carrying out two plates of food peaked his interest more. “That was fast,” he muttered as his plate was set in front of him. 

Yaku’s once dry mouth was instantly drooling at the food in front of him, his urge to dig in became greater once he felt the long line of steam on his face. The model before him couldn’t help but snicker at the reaction Yaku had of measly chicken tenders. “What? They’re my favorite food,” 

“I can see that. It’s clear that you want to eat your kiddie meal so I won’t talk anymore. But make sure you save room for where we’re about to go next.” And with that permission, Yaku grabbed one of the pieces of chicken and stuffed it in his mouth. 

~~~

Yaku took Lev’s orders somewhat seriously and only ate about half of what he’d eat on a regular day. Granted, that was basically his whole meal considering it was on the kids menu but he still liked to think that he ‘followed orders’. “Earlier, you mentioned that I had to save room for where we’re going and I still haven’t received any insight on that.” 

A clap was heard from the beaming model as he stopped at the end of the street, his gaze pointed toward the attraction on the other side. Yaku followed his gaze, his eyes landing on a huge carnival in the park. The colorful array of flashy lights and the variety of activities was overwhelming, even from their standpoint. Being a country boy and only going into the city for groceries and other essentials, Yaku had never seen anything like this in person. The only times that an event like this has been imitated was either on a tv show or movie. Seeing it in person left the photographer buzzing to explore the new wonder. 

Lev smiled at the cute reaction, the sparkle he mentioned in the big brown eyes before reappeared. “Dude, why didn’t you lead with this? If I had known you’d be fulfilling one of my bucket list things I would’ve been a little less mean to you.” 

The kouhai fell for Yaku’s humorous charms, loudly chuckling as they were getting ready to cross the street. “I highly doubt that. I don’t think there’s a nice bone in your body, which explains why you have endless insults.” 

Yaku scoffed, taking a step onto the painted white lines once the coast was clear. “That is not true. I have a switch for specific-” 

“Yaku!” The cry caused Yaku's head to turn, where he noticed the car coming right towards him. His widened eyes locked with the speeding driver who made no movements to honk his horn or slow down. Police sirens were heard in the distance, panicking the malice on the driver’s face, which only made his press the gas pedal once more. The movements were obvious to Yaku and yet he stood frozen, his feet fused to his place on the concrete. His entire body couldn’t move, his limbs accepting his fate before his brain could. The only thing he was able to do was shut his eyes and brace himself for the impact he was about to endure. 

Yaku felt a yank on his collar, his immobile feet finally twisting and stumbling backwards before his body turned away from the road. He was diving towards the concrete until he felt arms surround his body. He was still knocked off his feet, but the impact was softer than he thought. Whatever he did land on, though, was still hard and there was a stinging pain that was left on Yaku’s cheek because of that. The near death experience had Yaku’s body trembling, his shaky hands propping himself up so he could see who saved him. 

Silver locs and green eyes were the first thing he saw, along with an unfamiliarly worried look. “Are you okay? I could’ve sworn that the coast was clear but that asshole came out of nowhere! I was so worried that you…” 

Lev let the rest of his sentence die in his throat. The fact that he was worried surprised Yaku, only because he thought the man was incapable of anything other than modeling and cracking jokes. The worried look that he was sporting felt weird to the photographer, since Lev was usually wearing a boyish smile. And although he was staring down at such sweet eyes that could calm anyone, Yaku’s trembling made his arms give out, in which he collapsed onto the broad chest below him. He took this moment to try to breathe, for he had not been doing so, and take in the fading scent of what smelled like cologne. There were no complaints since it smelt nice, better than other cheaper colognes he’s had to take in before. “Your cheek, it might bruise.” 

“It’s fine. Thank you,” were the only words he could mutter out to show his gratitude. A blur of police cars zoomed past the sidewalk with no chance of catching that man at the rate they were going. 

“Of course, but we should probably get off the street. People are starting to look at us weirdly,” Lev waited for consent of the man on top of him before he used his long arms as an advantage to help the both of them to their feet. “Can you walk?” 

Yaku simply nodded, his knowledge of his twisted ankle absent as he tried to step away from Lev. The pain in his right ankle was sharp and Yaku’s balance was lost again. This time his butt landed on the concrete, and few curses came afterwards. “Dammit! That fucking stupid guy should have a little more remorse for a pedestrian! I couldn’t give two shits what he’s being chased for, he can still learn how to manuveur around traffic without almost fucking killing someone! Now I have the most inconvient fucking twisted ankle because of him! I hope he’s piled up with a shit ton of charges if those slow ass cops manage to catch him! Dickhead!” 

After he finished his speech, Yaku finally noticed the little girl standing beside him with wide eyes. The huge lollipop that was once in her mouth was now stickily hanging onto her drooping bottom lip. Her mother was dragging her away, shooting daggers towards Yaku. He laughed nervously and reached behind his head to pull on a tuft of hair, cursing himself for his colorful vocabulary. 

The slender Russian on the other side of him jumped into action as he picked up Yaku in one swift motion and positioned him on his back. “Okay Yaku, that’s enough. You’re scaring the kids and I’m sure many more angry parents will be coming over here to have a word with you.” 

“I-I wasn’t trying to!” He whisper-shouted as Lev carried him, triple checking before it was safe to cross the street. 

The pretty lights and fun atmosphere of the carnival washed away all of Yaku’s anger as his eyes darted to each attraction. There was a huge ferris wheel in the middle of all the glory, a row of games on each side, Yaku could only name a few. The ones he really wanted to try out was the ring toss, the basketball hoops, the darts, and many others. “Like what you see?” 

“I really, and I mean really, hate to say this but you’ve made a dear dream of mine come true. The only thing that’s missing here is my ability to run around this place.” The hands that were once on Lev’s shoulders for balance moved forward, snaking around his neck and hooking together. This gave Yaku the opportunity to fully relax against Lev’s broad back. 

“Again, I’m sorry that almost happened to you. If I had seen that car just a little sooner, you’d be able to run around however you’d like. But you’re stuck with me, so let me make it up to you.” Lev passed a few tempting games, their bright LEDs flashing for attention. He stopped in front of the ring toss and paid the worker there with the leftover cash from their dinner. Yes, he paid with cash. “You know, I happen to be a master at ring toss.” 

“I highly doubt that with your clumsiness and all.” He heard the model scoff, which was followed by a chuckle. 

“You’re one to talk. Remember when you spilled coffee on me this morning? Inuoka was ready to have my head on a platter,” 

Yaku only took a second to reminisce about their unfortunate meeting earlier that day and shook his head. “We were both going the same way and happened to bump into each other. That has nothing to do with hand to eye coordination, which, I’m pretty sure, you’re lacking in that department.” 

“Even off of your assumptions, you still can’t deny my ability at this game country boy. You’ve never even played this before.” 

“Country boy,” The photographer scoffed, “I’m sure you can’t beat this game with me on your back though.” 

“Ha! Watch and learn.” 

The stationed worker handed Lev 3 rings, and Lev spread the rings in his hand like cards, while he waved his free hand in Yaku’s face. “I’ll even do this with one hand.” 

Lev slid the large free hand under Yaku’s thigh for support, the movement sending chills up his spine. The firm grip almost felt like a squeeze and those thoughts only made the smaller man’s face twist in embarrassment. He distracted himself from any further inner embarrassment and focused on the show he encouraged. Lev took a small step back and extended his free arm, one of the rings flying and landing around a bottle. “Fluke,” 

The next ring placed perfectly around a bottle shut down his theory, and he earned a cocky smirk from the man currently holding him up. The last ring in his hand was flicked easily by small movements and bold lights flashed brightly, declaring the winner. 

Yaku stared down at Lev, stunned that he wasn’t lying about his hidden talent. “How did you-“ 

“I know,” The model cockily smiled, showing off his pearly white money makers. This smile had the power to make anyone’s knees weak, and if Yaku wasn’t already being carried, he would’ve had trouble trying to hold himself up. 

“Pick anything you’d like from the prizes, sir!” The sweet voice from the booth worker snapped Yaku out of his stupor. He looked to Lev who was already considering his options. “I’ll have that big ass teddy bear in the back over there.” 

The woman nodded and skipped to the back, where the glorious red teddy bear hung in all its glory. The bear was two thirds of the woman’s size, which had to be Yaku’s entire size. The bear looked brand new, like it had barely been out of the package. Ring toss was definitely one of the hardest carnival games ever, so it’s no surprise that no one’s been able to get a big score. 

Lev practically shoved the bear in Yaku’s face, in which he knew that he’d be spitting out little fur balls later on in the night. “For you, ba-“ 

_Babe?! Was he just about to say Babe?!_

“M-My friend,” The mistake Lev made was quite present in his expression as he handed the bear to Yaku. They both shared an awkward look, neither one of them wanting to speak further on the matter. The booth worker was thanked and the two set off to find another activity to partake in, silence growing on the pair and looked to each attraction. It was maybe one of the most awkward situations Yaku had been in, besides the fact that he had been struggling for some time to try and figure out how to hold that huge teddy bear. 

“Oi, slenderman. I can’t hold this stupid thing.” Lev’s pace stopped in front of the cotton candy booth, where he turned his head in an awkward position to get a good look of the man he was lugging on his back. “If you’d like, I can have you clinging to my front while you keep that bear in place on my back. But then again, I don’t if the parents around here would appreciate such a _provoking_ position.” 

The model held a tease in his tone, which had Yaku blushing in seconds. He slowly slid off of Lev’s back, his feet touching the soft grass for the first time. “I-I think I can walk. I’ve already pissed off enough parents for one day, and I am not in the mood to get scolded about some tall grown ass man walking around with a boner.” 

“Boner?” The small voice game from a boy with a mustard yellow cap, stuffing his face with sugary cotton candy. The blue residue of his treat was speared on his chin as he peered up at the only slightly taller man. 

Yaku froze, his immediate regrets for his unfiltered tongue seeping into his thoughts. “Oh fuck- wait, shit-no! argh! I-I mean-” 

The boy’s father was already pulling the boy away as he shot daggers at Yaku. The last thing he heard from them before they turned the corner was the boy asking his father what a boner was. 

“Oh my god! Ha!” The loud burst of laughs startled Yaku, but the startled feeling quickly turned into agitation as he sent a kick to the cackling Russian. “Why didn’t you tell me there was a kid there?!” 

The laughs stopped immediately when Lev crouched over to tend to his shin. He grumbled and rolled the leg of his pants to wince at the forming bruise. “I see your foot is working just fine now.” 

“Yeah, well, that’s for laughing at me. Where do you want to go next?” 

The change in subject brightened the model’s face as he rose to his original height, pointing towards the darts game booth. “I want to go and beat your ass at darts.” 

“Darts? That’s like the easiest game out there. You’re on,” 

A grin with the intent of malice play formed on the model’s lips. “You know, I bet you’d be really cute with face paint. _When_ I win, you can go get that next,” 

The cute comment made Yaku want to bury his face in shirt to hide the intense blushing that was occuring. If any random person mentioned anything about Yaku being adorable or cute, the only thing he would do was deny it. It was hard to believe that any cute person could still be single. But when the grinning man in front of him uttered those words, he felt appreciated for once. Still, being the tsundere he is, Yaku wasn’t going to let the Russian have victory. “Don’t get too cocky, giraffe. I bet you only spent all your time on getting good at this one game,” 

“Well, we’ll just have to test that theory, won’t we?” 

He was wrong, once again. Lev won by a huge lead, even though much effort wasn’t put into the game. He was flicking darts at the board with ease, two of them landing on the bullseye. Yaku admitted defeat once his last dart missed completely. Another stuffed animal was given to him, this time a small dinosaur that was easy to carry while he took his walk of shame over to the face painting booth. 

One the way over, he saw two tubs stationed in the middle of the fair, a kid on each side. The worker counted them off before each kid dove their head into the tub. They each had 30 seconds and by the end of that time, one of them returned with an apple in their mouth. That’s when an idea crept into the photographer’s mind. 

“Hey, Jack and the Beanstalk, wanna make another wager?” 

Intrigued, Lev followed the man’s gaze. His eyes returned with a complimenting smile, one that held competition behind it. “You’re on. But I have to warn you, my next punishment won’t be as generous and innocent as face painting,”

Yaku pushed away the dirty thoughts of what the meaning was behind that as the singing Russian walked over to the attraction. The worker that was in charge looked to be in his mid 40s, playing the stereotype of a country person with dirtied overalls and wheat hanging from his mouth. The stupid costume that the man was wearing did _not_ resemble what Yaku’s hometown people looked like, quite the opposite actually. The only thing that stood out between country and city people was that country people had to drive for miles just for coffee, and there wasn’t a bus or metro station that could easily get them places. Clothes were never a factor. 

Still, the man acted as though he grew up around dirt roads and played the cartoonish part. “So, you boys lookin’ to bob for some of the finest fuji apples in town? Entry fee is only a dollar right outta yer pocket.” 

Yaku cringed at the terrible accent and reached for his own wallet, since he had been the one to bring up the wager. He handed the man a measly dollar and took the tub on the left, bracing himself on the edges so he could get on his knees. He’d only imagined doing this pose for an entirely different reason many, _many_ times before. He tried to not let those thoughts infiltrate his mind as he rolled up his sleeves and scrunched his face into his usual game mode. Tactics like this were either used for family competitions or when he was getting ready to dig up balls on a volleyball court back in high school.

The model clumsily followed suit in front of him as he mimicked rolling up his nonexistent sleeves. He stuck his tongue out at Yaku like a child before he looked to the worker for a mark. Yaku could only smirk at the foreseeable outcome as he looked at the eager Lev. This was his forte, and there was no one back in his hometown who could compete with him in bobbing for apples. He was born with sharp canines, which made sinking his teeth into an apple quite easy. He’d even begged his mother to get them sharpened, but the idea was quickly recoiled when she told him that he’d get teased for looking like a vampire. Nonetheless, the canines he did have were a force to be reckoned with. 

“Get ready!” Each man looked each in the eyes, their gazes locked on each other with determination. Something about Lev’s serious expression had Yaku’s stomach tied in knots, although he’d be quick to deny it if anyone asked. Being around such an attractive person, a male model at that, was dangerous for someone like Yaku since he had little to no restraint when it came to his libido. Which is why he was almost scared of how this so-called ‘date’ might end. 

“Get set! Dive!” 

Instantly, Yaku shut his eyes and dove his head into the wooden tub. The only thing his teeth were attempting to bite on at first was water, but once his chin bumped into one the potential victims, he adjusted and widened his jaw to get a good bite. The apple wasn’t too hard to grasp since he had opened his jaw wide enough for almost the whole thing to fit into his mouth. He quickly lifted his head out of the tub, small water droplets from his hair flicking in different directions as he clamped down tightly on the apple. To his not-so surprise, Lev has yet to come up, meaning that he won. 

“Time’s up, son! Winner is the young man on the left! That was some great bobbing, kid. This must not be your first rodeo,” 

Instead of giving a verbal response, Yaku nodded with the apple still snug in his mouth. He had finally taken it out when he saw the stunned look on Lev’s face. “How the fuck did you do that?” 

Pride seeped into Yaku’s smile as stood up again and dusted off his knees. “There’s certain skills you acquire when you live in the country, _city boy_.” 

He took a bite of his victory apple once they started walking again and loudly voiced his fake appreciation. “Hmmm, this is a _really_ good fuji apple. Do you want a bite? I couldn’t possibly-” 

Lev’s hand circled around Yaku’s wrist and brought the apple up to his mouth. He took a bite right where Yaku had previously made a dent and chewed slowly. After swallowing, he smiled cheekily at the man. “You’re right. It really is a good fuji apple, Thanks,” 

The model’s pace sped up, leaving Yaku and his dropped jaw behind him. Hesitantly, he took another bite out of the apple and tried to catch up with Lev, with the subtle limp and all. He couldn’t help but think about the effect that Lev had on him, how dangerous it was. He took a vow before moving to the city that he wouldn’t get too attached to anyone, mainly for one of the reasons why he left his hometown. People were just so cruel. 

By the time Yaku caught up to Lev, he was already flipping through the book of examples. “Oi, skyscraper, I don’t want anything covering my whole face. I’d look stupid then,” 

Closing the book with a picture in mind, Lev quirked up an eyebrow. “That’s the whole point.” 

“You know what I mean.” 

“Fine, but there was no need to worry in the first place. I already knew how I wanted to mark you before we even got over here.” 

The last sentence would’ve had the honey brown haired man’s heart skipping a beat, but his annoyance of Lev was beyond what he usually allowed. There wasn’t enough room for such affection. “Mark? Are you sure you want to word it that way?” 

“I most certainly do. You’ll see,” 

The woman stationed at the booth was already cleaning up and gathering new paints once Yaku had fully stepped into the vicinity of the booth. Lev was given a piece of paper to write down what he wanted the design to be and handed the woman back the small piece of paper with a smile of mischief. She’d almost scoffed at whatever it was he wrote down, shaking her head as she set out the black paint. 

After Yaku had been seated into the chair, the woman wore a sympathetic expression. “I’m really sorry that I’ve been paid to do such a conceited thing to such a cute face. It’s a shame, really.” 

The rolling of the woman’s eyes and the shift in her attitude was worrying since he had no idea what the russian was up to. Yaku was sure it was a drawing of something vile and provocative, that immature behavior just radiated off of Lev and the fact that he would have to prance around modeling whatever it was in front of kids was embarrassing enough. He had already pissed off enough parents with his mouth and he did not need to do anymore damage with his face. 

Snickers from Lev were echoed throughout the duration of the worker painting on Yaku’s face, and that alone made him want to swiftly kick him in the back. His immaturity had distracted Yaku from realizing that the woman was done, and she was searching a mirror to hand to him. She handed him the reflective material, revealing the mere words that had been written. “You can’t really tell what I wrote with a mirror, so it’s better if you look at it with your phone.” 

Hesitantly, afraid of the ideas that randomly popped into Lev’s mind on occasion, Yaku slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Sure enough, he quickly regretted letting Lev have power over what was painted on his face. _Property of the Amazing Lev Haiba_ was writing in big bubble letters with a small heart tagging on the end of the last a. 

Quietly, Yaku put his phone away, twisting his lips into a threatening smile. “Lev, if my ankle wasn’t so shitty right now I'd crush you under my foot. What the hell is this?” 

He retorted back with a lazy tone, remembrance of what he planned to do next popping up into his head. “ _Relax_ , Yaku-san. That won’t stay there for long, not where we’re going next.” 

Yaku was left with unanswered questions once they’d left the carnival atmosphere, and where they were trotting into unknown territory. They were closer to the richer side of the city, although all its buildings looked luxurious, the buildings they were now passing by had more of a bougie exterior. Most of them were housing areas, a few offices here and there, but mostly apartment buildings. While this part of town was the least interesting part, Yaku’s eyes were still following the details of each building they walked past. 

They’d stopped in front of a building not long after Yaku’s train of thought started to bore him. It’s exterior was quite similar to that of their work building, modern and glassy. It looked way too expensive for either to be able to live in, yet Lev pulled out his keys. 

Before Yaku could even ask or question what the intentions were, Lev pressed the button that called to the front desk. A rather gruff voice answered, with a hint soprano that classified as a _deep_ woman’s voice. “The cameras are down today for maintenance, so if you are a resident please state your name and unit. Thank you,” 

“Estu-kun!” His tone was light, and the cry of her name almost sounded like a whine. “It’s getting cold out here and you should know who I am by my voice!” 

A rather disappointing sigh was heard on the other side. “Please state your name and unit,” 

The giant let out a quick snort before complying with sarcasm. “Lev Haiba, 2822. You know, Estu-kun, you sound like a man whenever you get a cold. You should really get that checked out.” 

The woman spoke in the disgusting tone that most people used when people who knew him and about his antics. “Shut up. The door’s open,” 

He kept the same composure, never really minding the way people talked to him and held the door open as Yaku walked inside the expensive building. The lobby was quite spacious, brown lights lit the entire area, including the waiting area on the left side with couches and loveseats. The overall color theme was fall, including the added decorations for the season. The air had an extravagant smell to it, which basically called Yaku broke in as many ways as possible. 

“If you think this is impressive, wait until you see my actual place.” Hands slid onto Yaku’s shoulders, giving him chills in the process. He was pushed towards the direction of the rows of golden elevators, watching as the people coming in and out of them stole a look at him. He was dressed like he didn’t belong there, he knew that, and yet he still wanted to slip out of Lev’s grip and give them a piece of his mind. 

Lev gave a proper greeting to the woman at the desk before he pulled Yaku into the surprisingly empty elevator, pressing the 28th floor. Standing closely to the side of the elevator, he opened his mouth to spill out every question he had about this place. Before he could even get a word out, Lev jumped at the task. “I know this looks unbelievable that a mere 23 year old lives in a condo, but believe me this money was earned. My sister and we were child models and we always received the greatest gigs, Our parents never let us spend that money on anything and instead put in in a savings account for when we were adults, SO when that time came, Alisa and I got this place together.” 

There wasn’t a clear response given, Yaku just smiled at the story and continued to steal glances of his reflection in the wall. The 28th was reached not too long after, and the nerves that he’d been feeling this entire day had heightened once they got to the door of 2822. “Now, we won’t actually be here for long, but I told Alisa to stay at Akane’s for the night. Just in case,” 

“Just in case what?” 

Lev froze at the question and left his key in the keyhole. “W-Well, anything.” 

“What are you planning?” 

“I’m not planning anything!” Lev unlocked the door and slipped inside. “We’ll just see how the night goes.” 

The big window on the other side of the condo distracted Yaku from asking further. The quiet city and all of it’s lights illuminated the dark room. His eyes wandered throughout the inches of each corner, each amazing him more than the last. “This is-” 

“You don’t happen to have swim trunks with you, do you?” 

“What?” The lights came on, highlighting the features that weren’t visible in the dark. 

“You can just borrow one of mine, that’s okay.” 

Ignoring what the subject was, Yaku scoffed. “I practically wear a kids size. I can’t wear your stuff,” 

“Oh right. Um, I think I have a pair left over from when my nephew visited. I’ll go-” 

“Wait!” Practically around the corner, Lev stopped and turned his direction toward the protest. “Where are you taking me?” 

A grin appeared on his lips. “You’ll see.” 

“What the hell am I supposed to do with that?” Yaku frowned. 

He received a wink in return, “You have the cutest frown, Yaku-san.” 

After quite a few protests on Yaku’s part and a little bit of begging from Lev, the two found themselves sitting in the private hot tub. “I don’t know why you thought sitting in scorching hot water was a good way to have fun.” 

“Actually,” Using his long arms to an advantage, Lev grabbed the side of the hot tub and pulled himself closer to the quieter man. “I brought you down here to learn more about you. You’ve been silent ever since we got here.” 

It’s true. Ever since Lev told him where they were going and looked at him the way only a few have looked, his feelings were all over the place. With him being touch deprived and with the way that Lev was subtly dropping hints, there were a few shaming thoughts in his head. In more than one instance he wanted to pounce on the giant, especially in a setting like this. There was no denying that Lev annoyed him to the point where he would want to punch his lights out, but there was also the factor that he was a completely different person when it was just them. The jokes were kept to a minimum, not to mention that they were joined by their hands for almost the entire night. He had all the qualities that Yaku usually went for, the humor, the charisma, the beautiful smile. His unruly attractiveness only made things worse. 

If he were asked by Kiyoko if he would take the chance now, his answer from before would be completely changed. Those thoughts are what actually scared him. “I’m just trying not to let my thoughts take over my actions.” 

The smirk that he’d seen frequently appeared on Lev’s face as he leaned closer. “I think I have a pretty good idea of what those thoughts are.” 

Maybe it was obvious that every time the model ran his hand across Yaku’s skin that there were gasps and jumps. He still found it hard to believe that Lev picked up on the many times his stare had been lingering longer than it should’ve, and the pink tint on his cheeks that stayed for the entire night. “I doubt you do, and I doubt you’re thinking the same way so I should just leave before I embarrass myself.” 

Yaku was rising to his feet and ready to turn his back on his coworker, when the hand that suddenly gripped his wrist pulled him back to sit down. “That’s where you’re wrong. When Kiyoko told me that you were new and alone in the city, I’d already had my eye on you. From the moment I laid eyes on your panicking self, I immediately saw how cute you were. Not to mention, your beautiful eyes when you apologized to me. That alone made me panic myself and just call out the first thing I saw. After that, that fire lit inside of you and although your comments were _quite_ hurtful, you left me wanting to find out more. That’s why I took you around the city.” 

The laugh that Yaku slipped out was anything but genuine. “This must be some sick joke, right?” 

“If you let me, I can show you that it’s not.” The hand that was still holding onto Yaku’s wrist traveled its way up to his neck, where Lev lifted his chin. His eyes were forced to look at the intimidating stare, which only lit his skin on fire. 

“Listen, Lev. I’ve seen this act before. You pretend to care for one night and when the sun comes up, I get a note saying that I have to leave. Since we work together, it’ll be quite awkward, so you’ll go out of your way to avoid me. I’m not new to this treatment.” 

Yaku tried so hard to focus on other things besides the stare in front of him. His eyes drifted down to the bare skin of Lev’s chest, decorated with water droplets. It only made his urges worse as he was tempted to reach out and draw mindless circles. He tore his eyes away, his gaze landing on the emerald eyes in front of him. Lev’s stare was no longer focused on Yaku’s, but found its home on his lips. 

Yaku’s heart practically stopped when felt the soft lips that once created a precious smile on his. Immediately his eyes closed as his tense shoulders relaxed and he let his arms hang on his sides when letting his body be taken over by the heat. He was almost brought to life again when Lev’s free hand swiveled around the side of his torso to pull him closer. Each and every one of his senses were ignited, his nerves practically on fire due to the deprivation they’d had. 

Yaku was panting heavily when Lev finally released the captivity on his lips. He rested his forehead on Yaku’s, his famous smile returning. “Who said I wanted this to be a one time thing?” 

Although his mind was still discombobulated from the current events, worries of the current timeline prevented him from fully enjoying the moment. “L-Lev, we barely know each other.” 

“That’s what dates are for, Yaku-san. We can still get to know each other, we’ll just be skipping a few steps in the process. Is that okay?” 

Usually, under regular circumstances, Yaku always liked to put off kissing and other things of that sort on hold until he fully knew what he was getting himself into. It always helped with his trust issues. But from that kiss, he could tell that this wasn’t anything normal. The only other time that his body was lit on fire like that was the first time he picked up a camera. If one person could do that in a matter of a day, maybe he could push his silly requirements to the side. 

One thing had to stay though. “We’re not doing anything remotely related to sex until I’m ready, okay?” 

He felt slightly discouraged after saying that loud, knowing that it caused a lot of problems in his past relationships. But when Lev’s smile stayed consistent, Yaku’s suspicions about him being different were slightly confirmed. “It’ll be worth the wait. As long as I get to learn every single thing about you, _shortie_.” 

Yaku could only laugh at the insult. “Right back at you, _Levochka_.” 

More laughs were erupted when Lev’s face scrunched up at the name. “That is definitely one way to calm down someone’s excitement. Please, for the love of God, do not call me-” 

Yaku finally gave into his urges when he grabbed the back of Lev’s neck, with a bit of a stretch, and pulled him down into a kiss. Things were made easier when he climbed into his lap, ignoring the ‘excitement’ that was mentioned earlier. 

Concrete jungle where dreams are made of, right? Maybe, his sole reason for coming to the city was to become a brilliant photographer. Maybe he came looking for validation that someone noticed just how great he was, just after a few hours. There may be a long road ahead, one that he was scared to even think of, but none of that mattered because he was being held. He was being embraced by someone who cared. His background didn’t matter, his _height_ didn’t matter. All that really mattered was that someone cared. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's it. I hope you enjoyed it, and depending on how I feel I may do an epilogue. Also, I'm planning on writing a multi-chapter KageHina book, a christmas teacher au, so keep checking for that.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed, we’ll see next chapter how the city date, although Yaku would deny calling it that, will go! Next chapter will be posted sooner or later.


End file.
